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Post-Game Show: Rangers 7, Yankees 2

Posted on August 27th, 2009 4:29pm by Evan Grant
Filed under AL West race, Baseball, Game Recap, Texas Rangers

D-tails
• Boxscore, AL West Standings, AL Wild Card Standings
• Rangers cut ties with RHP Jason Jennings

Story of the Game

Sometimes the middle comes early.

On Thursday, the same day the Rangers cut ties with their primary middle man for the first half of the season, the Rangers needed the middle of their bullpen in the fourth inning to preserve a slim lead. RHP Jason Grilli, who hadn’t retired a batter in his first two outings after coming off the DL, entered with a one-run lead and two men on base. He proceeded to use an old trick on Alex Rodriguez – a slider that Rodriguez has never had much success against – to get the last out of the inning. Rodriguez is now 0-for-5 in his career against Grilli.

He followed it up with two more perfect innings to hand the lead, which had grown to four runs, to the back end of the bullpen. LHP C.J. Wilson pitched around a spot of trouble in the seventh by striking out Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui and Nick Swisher in succession and then added a perfect eighth. Rather than take chances, manager Ron Washington turned a five-run lead over to RHP Frank Francisco in the ninth.

“You have to pitch to beat these guys and our bullpen did a great job,” manager Ron Washington said. “Jason got us to the back of the bullpen so we could set things up the way we wanted. It was huge because we needed that out and then he gave us two more efficient innings.”

Three Up
• After the Rangers had been no-hit for the first 3.2 innings, 2B Ian Kinsler hit a two-out, three-run homer off A.J. Burnett in the fourth to give Texas the lead. It came after CF Josh Hamilton and RF Nelson Cruz took back-to-back walks.
• RHP Jason Grilli bounced back from two outings in which he failed to retire a batter to retire all seven guys he faced on Thursday.
• 1B Chris Davis hit his first home run since his recall, a three-run homer in the seventh that blew the game open.

Three Down
• RHP Dustin Nippert’s days in the rotation may be numbered after the allowed seven walks and had to be pulled with a lead in the fourth inning.
• Nippert has been terrible at holding runners on base. The Yankees stole three bases in the first four innings against him Thursday. Nine of 10 base-stealers have been successful against him this season and 19 of 22 for his career.
• DH Julio Borbon was 0-for-4 and struck out in his first three at-bats. Borbon struck out four consecutive times, including his final at-bat Tuesday.

Stat o’ the Game
5.46: RHP Dustin Nippert’s ERA when he starts on normal (four days) of rest or longer. Nippert has made six of his eight starts on regular rest. He’s 1-2 in those games. When called on as emergency starter, he’s 1-0 with a 0.84 ERA.

Star of the Game
Here are your candidates: 1B Chris Davis (1-for-4, 3-run HR), RHP Jason Grilli (2.1 IP, 0 H, 3 Ks ), 2B Ian Kinsler (2-for-4, 2 HRs, 4 RBIs), LHP C.J. Wilson (2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 Ks)  Vote here.

Wednesday’s Player of the Game: David Murphy (87% of vote)

Flying Saucer/Flying Fish Depot Double Dip Games
Flying Saucer:Rangers win (Print $5 coupon here; good for Friday)
Flying Fish: Rangers walked 3 times (Print $5 coupon here; good on Friday)

Home Run Pool
No winners

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42 Comments to “Post-Game Show: Rangers 7, Yankees 2”
  • Ehren @ August 27th, 2009 at 4:35 pm

    I have to go with Grilli for Star of the game. Without that outing then we probably would have blown that game.

    And maybe they can roll a die for how many days rest Nippert gets so that it’s completly random so he’ll pitch like an emergency starter.

    We’ll have to go to the Flying Fish tomorrow to try it out. :D

  • Ehren @ August 27th, 2009 at 4:39 pm

    @Evan: FYI, the number of walks on the coupon to print says 2. Will it still be good at the FF?

  • Frank Lucchesi's Black Eye @ August 27th, 2009 at 4:58 pm

    Nip-Nip needs to grab “The Dutch Oven’s” pink backpack and head to the pen. He appears to be the anti Scooter Feldman.
    Some start, some relieve, some are John Smoltz…

    Great job Kins & Crush. Earl Weaver would be proud..

  • JG @ August 27th, 2009 at 4:59 pm

    I’m going to have to vote for Grilli. Especially rebounding the way he did after his last outing. Add that he had to step up and into the roll as THE middle reliever. And he did. I think I could hear the sighs of relief from Wash & Maddux all the way back here in DFW.

  • Tom B @ August 27th, 2009 at 5:20 pm

    Star of the game is tough choice. Kinsler and Grilli for Co-Stars, C Davis for Sentimental Choice. His bat can be everything this last month or more. I wouldn’t even argue CJ. Man, this win was sweet for so many reasons.

  • Jack Daddy @ August 27th, 2009 at 5:25 pm

    We were a Brandon McCarthy melt-down back on June 4th, with a 4 or 5 run lead, from taking the season series (that started with that debacle back on Memorial Day, which incidently, I returned from in person saying Harrison looked hurt). Oh well.

  • Jack Daddy @ August 27th, 2009 at 5:27 pm

    Btw, am i the only one that takes a little bit more satisfaction in the successes of Chris? I’m proud of the dude.

  • Jack Daddy @ August 27th, 2009 at 5:32 pm

    On to M-S-P – I don’t have the warm fuzzies about this series…

  • JustSaying @ August 27th, 2009 at 6:14 pm

    5 players of the game….ff finish it out in style…..cj lights out……..davis so sweet to have you back for the defense…….kinsler oh yeah keep that boy in an rbi spot……..grilli one big momentum u-turn and that was huge……

    but my sentimental favorite……a-fraud who looked like a chump against grilli………

  • leftybp @ August 27th, 2009 at 6:21 pm

    so glad to have Davis back…. defence & offence….. welcome.. some of the moves he makes are incredible…

    he will be a star. you read it here.

  • rob m @ August 27th, 2009 at 6:22 pm

    3-3 so far on the roadtrip. They have to win the series in Minn. In fact, they really cannot afford to lose any series for the remainder of the season.

  • Jeff @ August 27th, 2009 at 6:30 pm

    Anyone else find it just amazingly annoying that Jack Daddy posts at a rate of 5 to 1 to every other person that ever comes to this site. More often than not, posting 3-4 comments in a row, almost to himself? Get your own blog if you have so much to say, otherwise, we arent that interested in EVERY ONE of your opinions.

  • The Beer Guy @ August 27th, 2009 at 6:53 pm

    @Jeff: No.

  • Tom B @ August 27th, 2009 at 7:12 pm

    @Jeff, We’re a friendly family here. No need to be hostle. If Stupid stopped anyone then I would be a mute. Chill, Dude

  • Johnathan @ August 27th, 2009 at 7:27 pm

    Tazawa and the Red Sox getting rocked right now… trailing the White Sox 8-0 after 3 innings.

  • S. Arcasm @ August 27th, 2009 at 7:30 pm

    that’s the first series against the Yankees they’ve won this year, all the others they lost 1-2, so this is a step up and the Yanks are the hottest team in baseball right now. In the meantime the Angels play the winners of the Little League World Series.

  • B. Money @ August 27th, 2009 at 7:52 pm

    I’ll take credit for Murphy’s win yesterday. I saw Pettite ahead and couldn’t let a Yankee win. . . I just couldn’t. I voted 115 times. :)

    BTW: How about Murphy vs. lefties?

    Great job by Kinsler. . . exactly why he doesn’t need to be leadoff. Give him runners to knock in!

  • Rob K @ August 27th, 2009 at 8:12 pm

    Anyone interested in taking a flyer on Brad Penny after he clears? Might be worth the risk trying for that 5th spot.

  • Rangers Fan @ August 27th, 2009 at 9:46 pm

    @Jack Daddy: You know I’m just as proud about Davis! Been campaigning for him to be up since late July.

    And I’m just curious where the Kinsler haters are now? Silence? Continue on!

  • Bobby in Bryan @ August 27th, 2009 at 9:51 pm

    Couldn’t watch the day game while at school, but checked out ESPN online as soon as I got out of class. Couldn’t believe that the Rangers scored 7 while striking out 15 times, and that the Yanks only scored 2 while walking 7 times!

    Bring on the Twins–go Rangers!

  • RFC @ August 27th, 2009 at 9:55 pm

    I’m just glad Jason Jennings has been DFAd. You could always count on ANY runners left on base when he came in to cross the plate. I would yell at Washington and Maddux everytime Josh Lewin announced that Jennings was coming in from the pen.

  • Andrew in Boston @ August 27th, 2009 at 10:13 pm

    Took the Metro North down to the game with my 10 year old. Random thoughts on the game.
    -Mark Teixeira has the best walk out music of any of the Yankees. “I wanna Rock!”
    -The New Yankee stadium is really nice. Probably the nicest stadium I have ever been in. Huge concourses. Amazing history. I sat in really high seat (section 415), and the view was fantastic. The fans are not nearly as passionate as the old Yankee stadium or as Fenway fans.
    -Nippert is horrible. I hope McCarthy can pitch when he comes back.
    -Where is this great defense I keep hearing about? That is the second game in a row that the defense was poor.
    -Derek Jeter is awesome. Even in a poor showing for him, he still carries himself well and the stadium is always electric when he comes to the plate. He is everything I could ever want in a team Captain. No offense to MY.
    -I don’t want to face AJ Burnet and CC Sabathia 4 or 5 times in a 7 game series. I don’t care what the score said, the Rangers were out pitched in through the 5th.

  • Rangers Fan @ August 27th, 2009 at 10:16 pm

    Watch any other Ranger games this year? You would have seen some simply outstanding plays. And Elvis had 2 last night? Elvis had 2 mishaps today other than that he showed up Jeter.

  • JustSaying @ August 27th, 2009 at 10:41 pm

    @jeff i suggested jack daddy’s doctor would give him atavan if he read this blog….i would have offered mine but it is illegal to share prescriptions even in san francisco…..but otherwise jeff if you’re not a doctor you can’t prescribe a cure for the hyper activity that you find on this website because it is quite normal for die hard fans who want to win badly……….

  • Jack Daddy @ August 27th, 2009 at 10:42 pm

    @Jeff – fair enough.

  • JustSaying @ August 27th, 2009 at 10:43 pm

    nice share andrew

  • JDisStillAChump @ August 27th, 2009 at 10:46 pm

    “I can do a lot for this team,” said Padilla, who allowed two runs and six hits in five solid innings.

    “He hangs in there. He eats up innings. That’s big at this time of the year,” Torre said.

    No JD, joe torre knows nothing………..chump……

  • Rangers Fan @ August 27th, 2009 at 10:51 pm

    I can’t tell you how happy I am Padilla isn’t on the team.

  • The Beer Guy @ August 28th, 2009 at 12:03 am

    Seems like we’re doing just fine without Head Case Vinny. Some people just have a vendetta that they can’t let go, and some people just like to complain about something. Some do both. Move along, nothing to see here.

  • Jack Daddy @ August 28th, 2009 at 12:09 am

    A’s complete the combined 3 hit shutout of LAA.

  • Tom B @ August 28th, 2009 at 12:38 am

    @RF, Watch out in The Twins. Kinsler hits worst of all: 1 On the Road 2. Against Right Handers 3. The Very Worst on TURF (Something like .150) Like someone said, “It’s a small sample size for Kins.” I hope he fights through it and succeeds. We have three of our best Pitchers going so it should be GREAT. Give me Hunter and Feldman and I’ll box them with Millwood for the Trifecta any day. Even w/Millie in a Day Game on Sunday. Angels lose, BoSox lose. We have to keep plugging. Angels 4-6 in the last 10. A couple more losses and you’ll hear sphincter muscles, in LA, tighten like a Dart Train locking up the brakes at rush hour.

  • JustSaying @ August 28th, 2009 at 12:48 am

    i hope pedro strop is just a bad trip on your toes and someone comes to their senses and promotes beau vaughn…….WE WANT BEAU NOW or september 1……….

  • JustSaying @ August 28th, 2009 at 12:50 am

    when beau gets there then elvis and derek and neftali can look at each other and know they’re in charge………

  • Rangers Fan @ August 28th, 2009 at 12:50 am

    @Tom B…Yes, Kinsler has struggled indoors and his avg hasn’t been great this year. But I still think he has been a big part of what’s happened this year. It just seems ridiculous to be so down on the guy that is leading the team in homeruns and rbi, and to the point of asking if he’s part of the future as someone did last night. That just seems outrageous to me. He’s not your typical leadoff. Where he bats is up to the manager, not the player. Imagine his RBI total if he’d been hitting middle of the order all year.

  • GunDog @ August 28th, 2009 at 1:09 am

    I quite enjoy Jack Daddy. Keep posting!

  • Tom B @ August 28th, 2009 at 2:05 am

    @RF, Kins has done a great job this year. He is the future. He might need more rest than he has been getting. He has comr thru many times this year and will again.History just isn’t kind to him on the rug. I have a Golden Retriver that’s the same way.

  • JustSaying @ August 28th, 2009 at 2:40 am

    kinsler is fine…..jd throwing him out of leadoff really is a godsend to kinsler…..he’ll end up 3-6 and somewhere he is going to stick and go rbi on the rangers………it will be nice to finally see that happen……i’m willing to wait and watch the process……..

  • WacoGreg @ August 28th, 2009 at 2:47 am

    @Jeff – You my friend, are an idiot.

  • MonkeyRay @ August 28th, 2009 at 6:44 am

    @WacoGreg – ++1

  • Juboon @ August 28th, 2009 at 7:41 am

    (pssst — as has been said before, completely ignore the trolls, boys, and they’ll stumble back out of our nice baseball conversations)

  • Evan Grant @ August 28th, 2009 at 10:36 am

    @ALL: Speaking for management, the only problem we have with Jack_Daddy leading in posts vs. others 5:1 is we’d love to have just as many posts from you, too. Especially since J_D may be out of action this weekend as he tries to recreate the closing credits from “The Hangover.” Everybody’s comments are always welcome and feel free to comment as often as you like. Just always remember our friendly ground rules: Let’s try to refrain from name-calling; otherwise, keep the conversation as witty, analytical, energetic and optimistic as you please.

  • JustSaying @ August 28th, 2009 at 5:13 pm

    with charity beaver looking down on all of us how can we not be happy?